Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in Canada. It is a group of eye diseases which lead to progressive degeneration of the optic nerve, which causes irreversible vision loss and potential blindness. There is no cure for glaucoma, but it can be controlled. Early detection is the key to preventing or slowing down vision loss. Make sure you are having annual comprehensive eye exams to check for changes in your eye health, because it can happen even if you think you “see fine” and you don’t need glasses! #GlaucomaAwarenessMonth
Call (905) 666-4848 to book an appointment

There will be a total solar eclipse on August 21, between 1:10pm-3:49pm!! The last total solar eclipse visible in North America was in 1979, and the next one won’t be until 2024, so you won’t want to miss this one!

Here are some safety tips for viewing the eclipse:

– In Ontario, we will not be in the path of totality, so it will NOT be safe to look directly at the eclipse at any time.

– You must wear eclipse glasses with special filters. Here is a list of reputable vendors: https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

– Looking through binoculars, regular sunglasses, polarizing filters, and other home-made filters, etc, is NOT SAFE.

– While you may be able to find something to dim the sun to a “comfortable” viewing level, it may not block to whole spectrum, so you could be damaging your retinas with infrared radiation… and you wouldn’t notice until afterwards. This video talks about how you can get solar retinopathy by looking at the sun

Attention pimple poppers!
If you secretly love watching pimple popping videos, you’ll probably get the same satisfaction from watching MEIBOMIAN GLAND EXPRESSION (aka squeezing)! If not, you should probably skip this video 😉

Meibomian glands are located in your eyelids, and they secrete the oily component of tears which keeps them from evaporating. When they are blocked or not producing enough oil, that is a leading cause of dry eye syndrome. They can also get clogged with makeup, so make sure you thoroughly clean your eyelids right to the base of your eyelashes every night.

If you suffer from redness, gritty/sandy feeling, stinging, occasional blurry vision, or uncontrollable watering – call (905) 666-4848 to get an eye exam to determine whether you have Dry Eye Syndrome. Yes it sounds weird, but even watery eyes is a sign of dryness!

For now, please enjoy this wonderful video of meibomian gland expression Imagine how nice it would feel after you open up those clogged pores! 🙂 #FunFriday#OnlyFunForDrLee

People always think they would notice if something was wrong with their eyes, but that’s not always the case!

I had a patient last year, who had come in just because she felt like she needed stronger reading glasses. In fact, she almost cancelled her appointment because she was busy that day. Everything checked out: distance vison was great, and she did just need a boost for up close. Everything appeared normal up until the very last step of the exam. After dilation, I was able to see to the edges of her retina, and found a choroidal melanoma. Choroidal melanoma is the most common primary malignant eye tumor and the second most common type of primary malignant melanoma in the body. She was referred immediately and received radiation therapy. I saw her again this year, and so far she is doing well 🙂

The first picture below is a straight on view of her retina. Everything looks normal. The second picture is what was visible when she looked to the side. The melanoma was way off on the edge of her retina, which is why she did not have any symptoms or notice any changes in her vision.

A “virtual” sight test would not have caught this. If she was issued a renewed prescription online without a comprehensive eye exam, this would not have been found. #VisionHealthMonth

“4. In about 24 hours, you get your results sent via email. If it hasn’t changed, the doctor will write you a new one. If it has, the doctor might recommend a visit to the optometrist.”

First of all, if the prescription has changed – you still have to go see your optometrist! This will not save you money.
If it hasn’t changed, you still have to come in for a comprehensive eye exam. I have seen many patients with health conditions that have required care, even though the “numbers” on their prescription hadn’t changed. No change in prescription does NOT always mean no health issues!

Warby Parker claims that their test is “accurate,” and that may be true, but their test only scratches the surface of 1 out of 12 components of a regular eye exam. Don’t be fooled – their goal is to maximize profits, not advocate for your health and wellness.#VisionHealthMonth